AFTER years of no complaints, residents in a major city have begun receiving warnings or even fines for parking in their own driveways.
Enforcement has seemingly ramped up in recent times, punishing those whose vehicles slightly block the sidewalk.
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Now, according to a recent story by the San Francisco Chronicle, homeowners in San Francisco, California, specifically in neighborhoods like Dolores Heights and Noe Valley, suspect a “snitch” might be reporting them.
One local, Larry Reed of Dolores Heights, parks his electric BMW on his sloped driveway, with the back wheels and bumper of his car extending awkwardly on to the sidewalk.
This is in violation of a California law that prohibits vehicles from blocking any portion of public sidewalks, but it’s only recently Reed has begun receiving warnings.
“This has never happened in years past,” said Reed.
“I really try to keep my car so that the space is pretty accessible.”
Reed said he received a warning from a parking control officer, reportedly after an anonymous complaint was filed about cars on his block encroaching on the sidewalk.
Naturally, this was surprising and frustrating to him, and while he acknowledges the importance of keeping sidewalks accessible for pedestrians, wheelchairs and strollers, he feels the enforcement is overly strict – especially since his car doesn’t fully obstruct the sidewalk.
In response, Reed posted a sign at his front steps that reads: “If you ever have a concern about our vehicle, please reach out,” along with his phone number.
The sign encourages neighbors to contact him directly rather than filing complaints with the city.
He says he’s happy to move his car for anyone who needs access, but prefers a more civil approach to resolving the issue.
Since posting the sign, Reed hasn’t received any more warnings, but the underlying problem remains – his driveway is too small to fully accommodate his car.
His experience reflects the broader frustration among San Francisco residents dealing with the city’s intensified parking enforcement.
The issue has been even worse for Sharon Gillenwater of the Noe Valley neighborhood, who received fines totaling $324 for parking her family’s vehicles in their driveway.
Like Reed’s BMW, her Volkswagen SUV and her son’s Subaru wagon slightly exceed the length of their driveway and run on to some of the sidewalk.
While Gillenwater acknowledges the importance of keeping sidewalks accessible, she feels the enforcement is overly harsh in her case, as there is still plenty of room for pedestrians to pass safely.
She described it as “overzealous punishment” and suspects that someone in the neighborhood is intentionally filing repeated complaints – possibly even reusing old photos to report violations.
She said: “We’re not fighting the law, we all agree that strollers and disabled people need to pass.
“But can we just be in the spirit of the law? In our case, there is plenty of room for two wheelchairs to go in tandem down the street.”
“It’s kind of our neighborhood murder mystery,” joked Gillenwater’s husband, Andrew Keeler.
Florida’s HOA enforcement
Here is more information on House Bill 1203, Florida’s new HOA regulation:
Florida put a series of guard rails around HOA fine enforcement.
Here is a list of changes homeowners will see by July 1:
- HOAs can no longer restrict parking personal vehicles if they follow state regulations
- Associations must give proper warnings for infractions like garbage bin removal and holiday light displays
- HOAs must keep official records of meetings
- Officials in top HOA positions are subject to criminal prosecution if they accept bribes
- Associations with more than 100 units must publish public information on its website
The law will be most impactful for pickup drivers and emergency vehicle operators.
HOAs will not be allowed to assign fines for pickup drivers who park their vehicles in the driveway.
The law also restricts associations from fining homeowners for emergency vehicle parking.
